


Meet via Dog

by rinstop



Series: Prompt fills [45]
Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-21
Updated: 2016-03-21
Packaged: 2018-05-28 05:22:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6316234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rinstop/pseuds/rinstop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Rin has to dog-sit and it just might be love at first sight</p>
            </blockquote>





	Meet via Dog

As part of a decision to treat Makoto, and also partly to apologise for being an antisocial boyfriend, Haru had whisked Makoto away to some five star resort in the tropics for a week. It meant that Makoto was going to be fucked senseless and incapable of walking in between bouts of attentive pampering by Haru in more exotic surroundings than their home. What it also meant, was that Rin had to take care of their dog.

He sighed and looked at the stupidly excitable thing, huffing and panting happily at him, it’s tail waving a mile a minute the moment it had seen Rin pull out the lead. The lead meant walkies and walkies were the best thing ever! As far as Rin was concerned, the dog needed to be walked as much as it possibly could - it was a little on the chubby side, it’s roundness a testament to Makoto’s loving indulgence. The dog was practically his baby.

He slipped his trainers on and put a few dog toys in his backpack before clipping the lead to Choco’s (so called for his rich brown coat) collar. “Come one, pudgy dog. Let’s go play in the park - we can throw your ball.”

The park wasn’t far and Choco strained at the leash in eagerness every step of the way there until they reached the open grassland of the park, ringed by a winding path that meandered in and out of wooded copses. There, the dog could run off his leash and they spent a while running and rolling and playing tug with a rope toy before Rin pulled out the brightly coloured ball. A few gentle practices throws that didn’t send the ball very far soon had Choco impatient for bigger challenges, so eventually Rin pulled his arm back and threw it in the air, somewhat higher and further than he meant to. And the dog followed, shooting after it with a single-minded focus.

Unfortunately, Rin hadn’t quite taken into account the pathway around the field and its frequent use by runners and cyclists. The ball arced over the over the wide track to fall into the bushes ahead of one particular jogger, dressed in a garishly multi-coloured jersey, which - unluckily - put him right into Choco’s path as the chubby dog followed after it.

Rin just had time to shout, “Watch out!” but that had the man stopping and turning to see who had said that and if they were talking to him. Which only meant that when Choco did tackle him seconds later, it was square from the front, man and dog tumbling to the floor in an ungraceful heap of fur and flailing limbs.

“Oh shit.” Rin sprinted to the jogger’s side to find him laying flat on his back, Choco licking and nuzzling at his face. “Hey man, are you ok? I’m really sorry!”

The man - handsome, Rin noted, even lying stunned on the floor with leaves in his hair and glasses askew - looked dazed and bewildered, until he became aware of the dog still on top of him, at which point he started swatting him away, disgusted by the doggy-slobber Choco was painting his face with. He sat bolt upright as soon as Rin pulled the dog back to clip the lead back on, and started dusting himself off.

“What the hell?! You need to control your dog! You can’t just -! Uh….” He trailed off as he looked up into Rin’s face, seeming a little startled and turning a little red. His finger was still waving angrily in Rin’s face and Rin couldn’t help but notice that his eyes were a rather gorgeous shade of blue, verging somewhere between purple and grey. There was a leaf in his hair and Rin found himself absentmindedly picking it off. The man’s face flushed further and Rin wasn’t suddenly conscious of his hand in the stranger’s hair. He pulled it back and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, looking away.

“Ah, I’m really sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to where I threw the ball and this…” he looked down at the stubby furball that was sniffing at the runner’s shoes, tail wagging slowly and obliviously, and tugged him away. “…dumb mutt gets really excited when he sees bright colours. There’s a cafe just five minutes from here that has a really good roast. We can get you cleaned up and maybe I can buy you a coffee to make it up to you?”

His offer was met with a considering gaze. Suddenly gathering himself, the man pushed his glasses up and adjusted them, clearing his throat as he looked away. There was a slight dimple in his cheek when he pursed his lips and Rin wondered what he would look like when he smiled. 

“I know the cafe you’re talking about. Add a slice of their banana loaf to the coffee you’re buying me and I’ll forgive you.” His tone was arch and his nose was in the air as he extended his hand in formal greeting. “I’m Rei. Ryugazaki Rei.”

“Yeah, ok. I’m Rin. Matsuoka Rin.” Rin couldn’t help the smile that grew over his face, or the drawl in his voice. “And it would be my pleasure.”


End file.
